Personally I have heard you can use a 700 model and it works just fine figured I would ask around. And stainless is right, I need the whole thing. Mine still works, the extractor is denting the rim on the back of the casings.

Otherwise I would contact remington to see about returning the rifle to them for repair. I am unsure about using a remington 700 bolt in a 721. It would be best in my view to contact remington direct and see what they advise.

You've got extractor problems, take the thing to a competent 'smith and have it repaired. Replacing the bolt involves checking the headspace which may not be correct. Correction will involve either deepening the chamber or setting the barrel back and correcting the chamber. Either way you need a gunsmith and potentially spending a lot more money than just getting the extractor repaired. Here endeth the lesson. Goatwhiskers the Elder

First determine if your extractor is retained by either 1 rivet type fastener or is it a newer style snap in w/no rivet and fairly easy to replace. In either case contact Rem. customer service and try to buy one (a gunshop might have to buy it for you). I don't believe it to be a restricted part. The bolt body is restricted. I would not send the whole gun back as there is a good chance they would keep it sending you a voucher as PARTIAL payment for a new rifle. The problem being that the 721 is obsolete and they (Rem.) want it out of circulation. This is what they did to my dad when he sent his 721 back to be rebarreled. I would try to buy the parts. Where are you located?

I read your post again and got to the part about denting the rim. The extractor fits into a recess machined into the bolt. If there is enough crap BEHIND the extractor (in the cutout) it may not be allowing the extractor to move out of the way of the rim as the cartridge is chambered. Clean with an old tooth brush really good. With the bolt out of the rifle fit a case under the lip of the extractor and pivot it into the bolt. The extractor should move out of the way a tad allowing the case to seat against the bolt face. Just a thought.

I'm located in Davison, MI. The rifle is clean front to back, even the bolt. This is why I'm concerned. You can see the extractor is worn. I take real good care of this rifle, out of my three guns it is my favorite.

I'm not saying the rifle isn't clean. You cannot see the recess into which the extractor fits and that is why I suggested a very thorough cleaning and pushing on the extractor to see if it would move into the recess. Attached are pictures of the old (L) style and the new (R) style extractors. Can you tell what you have? On the old style the rivet head would be visible on the inside wall adjacent to the bolt face. Can you take a good close up of your bolt face?

I think I figured it out, I didn't remove the extractor, and mine doesn't have a rivet holding it in. It's under spring tension and if I remove it it's not suppose to be put back in. I moved it around though and can noticeably feel a build up behind it. I 'm going to clean it real good and but another extractor from Brownells. I'll remove the old one then.

I called Remington customer service inquiring about a new extractor and representative I spoke with told me "we don't carry anything for the 721 model, there is not compatible extractors, and that they won't even touch the gun", wow wonderful service.

Come on guys , production of the model 721 stopped in 1961 for Christs sake . That was 51 years ago , how long do you expect Remington to stock parts for obsolete guns ? There are extractors out there , you just have to find them , instead of whining like little girls ! I have three in my inventory at the present time .

I ended up with dad's 721 after his passing. The thing that really worried me was the trigger/safety after doing some reading up on them. Had the trigger assy replaced and a zillion years of gunk cleaned out of it. And yes the bolt does have some wear, but has never let me down.

__________________
A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
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Its a nice gun, OneForAll did a great job bringing it back up to standard. It had the wrong stock on it, now it is all black, with a new optic, and bipod. The thing looks great. Im not sure it was cleaned thoroughly until he got it.

Its just too bad that a company that can put together such a nice rifle doesnt do as good with its customers as it should.

As far as discontinued parts go, in this day and age of computer aided design and manufacturing, there is no reason that a company, espacially a large one like remmington cant punch some numbers in a cad cam machine, and make a new extractor in a few minutes for a customer like this.

Somewhere in the basement of that Remington factory probably sits a bag of those sucker's that a geezer like me had the foresight to put a few back, just in case,,,,, Sounds like Remington folk have become bit sirly, and lazy.!

That why Savage and Weatherby and Howa and Winchester and Marlin and.....should I keep going? outsell them.

It sucks dude but your going to have to keep an eye out at gunshow or the like to get another one.

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